


He Knows Your Name

by LionBeforeLambs (heimskr)



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Canon Divergence - Battle for Azeroth (Warcraft), Canon-Typical Violence, Corruption, M/M, Mystery, Ny'alotha (Warcraft), Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:48:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heimskr/pseuds/LionBeforeLambs
Summary: As the Alliance continues to hunt for Sylvanas Windrunner, Anduin Wrynn finds he must contend with competing interests and fading trust amongst his fellow leaders, as well as unfinished business with a certain member of the black dragonflight.As usual, Wrathion appears to have plans of his own.
Relationships: Wrathion/Anduin Wrynn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will probably be slow. Brainjuice is running on empty in these pandemic times.
> 
> Please also forgive any errors in tense or perspective shifts -- I do my own editing and sometimes it just be like that. Thank you for reading!!

The stars glittered off of the lake, and Stormwind City was quiet as the night passed the young king by. Once every hour, King Anduin Llane Wrynn could hear the sound of gryphon wings fluttering over the rooftop, close enough to stir a wind inside and stoke the fire in the hearth. It was only after the third pass that he finally opted to move to the window in order to shut it.

But doing so had distracted him. The Eastern Earthshrine, sparkling with the light of portal magic in the center of the lake, seemed to stirr with each disturbance of the winter winds that blew in from the harbor just on the other side of the wall sectioning it off. It had been a tiring couple of weeks -- between attempting to solidify the peace treaty within the Embassy, to learning of Alleria’s continued struggles in searching for Sylvanas Windrunner, to the relative silence in the southern region of Kalimdor.

He had hoped to have heard from Magni or Wrathion by now of their progress. The Alliance champions that had been lent to the cause had also been eerily silent. It was challenging for Anduin not to feel a sense of dread and danger looming over his head. The stone beneath his hand did not give under the pressure of him squeezing it, and he could feel his knuckles aching in protest as a result.

“My King?” came a soft voice from the other end of the room. It startled him out of his thoughts, but not enough to react beyond turning to the handmaiden to acknowledge her. He’d grown used to her appearances by now -- though, judging by the still-dark sky that he was looking at, she was several hours early to draw his curtains.

And it was not the handmaiden he saw when he turned, but the familiar glowing red eyes of the Black Prince, appearing as if the words had been taken from his mouth and ferried directly to the Light’s ears.

“--Wrathion?” Anduin found himself saying in surprise, still uncertain whether or not his lack of rest had gifted him with a hallucination. The taller man responded to the king by slowly putting a finger to his lips, a gesture that made Anduin’s jaw tighten with frustration. “What’s happened? You’re supposed to be--”

“In Ny’alotha, yes,” Wrathion finished for him quietly, letting his hand fall placidly away from his face. “But we’ve handled all that. I’ve come to tell you so. I’m afraid another problem has arisen.”

Anduin could hardly believe what he was seeing -- and hearing.

“Wrathion,” he tried again, a little more stern this time. Any relief he might have felt upon seeing him -- safe, seemingly unharmed, and alive -- was chased out of him by the dragon’s framing of his point (as well by his previously unannounced presence). “This is highly irregular, even for you. Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Well, I very much doubt I would be capable of commanding a presence here at an earlier hour, your highness,” Wrathion responded easily, a small smile smoothing over his handsome features. “Your advisors did not trust me the first time I arrived in your keep. What would they say if I arrived again, without the Speaker?”

Anduin allowed his hand to slide off the windowsill, choosing instead to reach out and pull the large window panes shut. “And why have you come without the Speaker?” he posited. He imagined that it had something to do with the other problem that had arisen. Normally, he might have insisted it wait until morning but -- well, anything concerning Magni Bronzebeard’s wellbeing was important. Not just to Anduin, but to all of Azeroth. 

And there was also the fact that he hadn’t been able to sleep anyway.

Wrathion was studious and patient in how he waited for the High King to finish his task and approach him before responding to his question. “You don’t need to worry for him, Anduin. He has more important matters to concern himself with than to ensure a warm reception for me at Stormwind Keep. Azeroth still has much healing to do.”

“Then what is this other problem you have to share?” Anduin sighed, smearing one hand over his face. _And why couldn’t it wait until morning?_ The stress of the past year had begun to take its toll on his youthful features, but if Wrathion noticed, he did not say so. He was grateful for that, if nothing else.

“You already know,” Wrathion replied cryptically. Anduin frowned noticeably and opened his mouth to retaliate before the dragon continued. “N’zoth has been dealt with, true. But there are other powerful vestiges of the void’s power that remain anchored to the … incorrect side of the Waking City.”

Ah. Anduin had heard this one enough times before. Yes, he did know exactly who Wrathion was speaking of, though it did not make it any less exhausting to hear.

“You’re talking about Alleria,” Anduin replied, in an impatient tone. 

“Not just Alleria,” Wrathion’s grim reply followed. “Azshara is free as well.”

“What?!” Anduin blurted. Any impatience regarding doubt cast upon the eldest Windrunner sister vanished without a trace. “How?”

“She escaped whilst our forces were preoccupied with grander concerns.”

“Grander concerns than the woman who dragged two of the largest naval forces to the bottom of the ocean for her personal amusement?”

“Anduin, please,” Wrathion finally replied in a terse tone, holding his hand out to reveal a glowing stone. That took him aback. Since seeing the dragon again, he had seemed -- different. More mature, if not completely unrepentant. A part of him had expected this to be a game of some sort -- but his reply signaled something more serious. “We do not have time to argue like this. I do not trust that we have abolished N’zoth influence completely. If we have any hope of finishing this, once and for all, then I require your cooperation.”

“The world you are looking for is ‘help’.”

“Take this,” Wrathion replied, ignoring Anduin’s chiding. “Much as I might like, I cannot stay here for long. If there were any other option--”

“Don’t,” Anduin cut him off stiffly, raising his hand. _Much as I might like_. The absolute _nerve_ of him. He did not want to hear this from the other man right now -- now, at an hour where he had been struggling to sleep for all the weight resting upon his shoulders. The weight of his concern for those left to the many maws of N’zoth, the weight of his concern for his Kingdom, the weight of his concern for what Sylvanas was still up to. For now, he could not listen to Wrathion say anything to him but the words he knew the black dragon would not say.

Fortunately, Wrathion seemed to take the hint. Anduin watched the other man’s jaw clench in the subtle way he’d come to recognize as an expression of his frustration.

“Very well,” Wrathion replied in a low voice, offering the small glowing stone a bit more insistently. “If you squeeze this, I will know it is safe to come to you. But in the meantime, I must assist the Speaker how I can, and _you_ must investigate Alleria Windrunner, as well as any of the Ren’dorei who advise her. Your champions should be returning to you within a fortnight if the wind favors them.”

“I trust her, Wrathion,” Anduin replied calmly, ignoring his attempt to placate his unreasonable ask with good news. The implication there being, of course, that he trusted her more than he currently trusted Wrathion. Though he watched the black dragon smirk, it did not quite reach his eyes. He had wounded him with his words. _Good._ Some part of him felt queasy to acknowledge that it made him feel better. 

“And that is why it must be you who sees to this inquisition,” Wrathion offered. “It will be kinder coming from someone she and her followers also trust. Or...once trusted, if my suspicions prove true. I know my ask is not small -- but I would not ask it if it were not important. If you trust nothing else, you might at least trust my designs to wipe away any traces of N’zoth’s influence. And if I am wrong, you have little more to deal with than a few hurt feelings, perhaps.”

“Let us imagine for a moment that I agree to this,” Anduin finally conceded, closing the remaining distance between them. “What exactly is it that you are hoping I will find? And how am I meant to know when I’ve found it?”

“In truth, I am hoping that you find nothing,” the dragon prince replied with an honesty that surprised Anduin. “But if I am correct, she and her people are taking direction from another master. A lesser void lord, perhaps. I can only discern so much whilst trying to direct our efforts to crumble Ny’alotha, but I fear that if I allow this to sit, it may give N’zoth a foothold we would not want him to have. And as for how you will know … I believe you would be best served to trust your instincts.”

Anduin was not convinced. But they could at least agree that additional influence from N’zoth would be unwelcomed.

“Very well,” Anduin found himself sighing tiredly. “I will do as you ask. But you might at least spare a moment to tell me more of how your efforts fared.”

To this unasked question, the human-masked-dragon only smiled in a most knowing fashion. 

“Another time, perhaps. I must return to the Speaker,” Wrathion finally offered after an uncomfortably long silence between them. Anduin pinched the bridge of his nose, praying silently for patience. “Besides, if I told you everything now, I would soon run out of excuses to visit. Handle the Ren’dorei, and then perhaps I will regale you with our tales of heroism when you inform me of your findings.”

“I am not asking for an epic, Wrathion, I only--” But when his bright eyes opened again, the Black Prince had vanished from sight, leaving only the High King in his darkened bed-chambers and one small glowing rock. 

Gone as soon as he had come. That, at least, would never change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Wrathion's warning that the puzzle of Ny'alotha's influence may not yet be complete, Anduin seeks out Alleria to discuss his concerns that the Ren'dorei are being influenced by a remnant of N'zoth. Stress pressures Anduin's faith in his advisors on both ends of the conflict, leaving him uncertain of whom to trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of exposition in this one, sorry! I might take a second editing pass to fix some of the perspective shifting, but I also didn't want to sit on the chapter haha.

Alleria Windrunner had received her summons early in the day. She had become accustomed to receiving them from the human king now, given … well, everything. They shared a number of mutual interests of importance -- most prominently being that issue of her estranged sister, Sylvanas. She could have only assumed it was another request for information she did not yet have.

All she could do was softly sigh, unable to help the small display of exhaustion. Anduin was young yet -- though, perhaps less by human standards, as she often needed to remind herself. He still had some of that impatience of youth, though perhaps considerably less than one might have expected. She respected him for that, but it did not make the reality of this meeting any easier to swallow. It took time away from her hunt.

But, if she was correct about the subject matter, then she could expect it to be brief.

She had risen a few hours ago amidst the rest of the embassy and had watched Magister Umbric lead a few of their riftblades through the portal to Telogrus. Normally, she would have accompanied them to observe the progress upon the anomaly they had found inside just a few days ago. Unfortunately, she had been unable as of yet to dedicate as much attention toward it as she would like -- not with Sylvanas still unaccounted for.

And as they had disappeared through the rift, she recalled that last brief conversation they had.

“ _It is growing unstable, Alleria,_ ” Umbric had said, worry absent from his voice but a concentrated furrow in his brow. “ _Whatever is reaching out is doing so more urgently._

“ _Have you been able to keep it stable at all?_ ” she had asked. Looking back, she could have perhaps been kinder with her delivery. “ _The Void doesn’t call for help. Whatever it is, it must be imprinting on one of the new adepts. If we don’t find out who it is--_ ”

“ _I do not think that is what is happening,_ ” Umbric had said. “ _If it was a new arrival, we would have seen the madness set in long before now. This is something else. I am sure of it._ ”

“ _Something else, meaning--what, in this case?_ ” Alleria had asked, knowing full well that Umbric did not yet have the answer for certain.

“ _We may not know until it breaks through,_ ” the magister had replied, solemnly. “ _It could be a remnant of N’zoth. It could be another Void Lord. It could be something else..._ ”

“ _All very grim prospects. Get it under control,_ ” Alleria had replied, curtly. The Magister could hardly take umbrage with her tone. If the creature managed to gain greater access to the rift, it would only be a few steps away from Stormwind itself. “ _You know what must happen if we cannot._ ”

These were not conversations for which she could seek guidance for answers -- certainly not with the other Alliance leaders. The prospect of losing so much progress had ruined any hope for happiness that day. But today was a new day, and she had work to do -- and a meeting to get to.

As her boots softly clicked upon the stone of Stormwind’s Keep, she ran over the details of her last foray in her mind. Anduin possessed all of these details already, of course, but if they were going to go over them, then they needed to be fresh in her mind as well.

They had tracked Nathanos Blightcaller from Zandalar to the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, and his trail had quickly gone cold in the southern coast of Stranglethorn Vale thanks to rains and flooding. They had spent hours attempting to pick it up again to no avail. The hunt had been fresh enough that the gryphons were still roosting, and so she could not imagine why Anduin might need new details so soon.

“Good morning, Lady Windrunner,” came a gruff, but polite voice. Alleria’s tall ears twitched slightly with recognition as her eyes turned to glance sideways at Genn Greymane, who merely nodded and continued on his way down the hall. She half-turned to watch him go, brows furrowed.

“Your highness,” she responded reflexively, without making an attempt to stop him. _Odd,_ she found herself thinking, instead. It was unlike Anduin to keep secrets from the old wolf, especially where Sylvanas was concerned. But if he was heading in the opposite direction, than he had not been told about the meeting she was going to.

It was still early enough in the day that the Keep was buzzing with activity. Matthias Shaw stood off to the side of the throne room, surrounded by a small collective of SI-7 operatives clad in leather armor. They, no doubt, had been preparing for their own foray into the south to hunt for Blightcaller -- or, perhaps, an expedition to search for the Alliance champions that had gone missing just two weeks ago during their journey back from the two most recent warfronts. Some of her own people were among that number, and she had not forgotten them. There were so few Ren’dorei still remaining, that even losing just one would be a tragedy.

Taking a turn to the right, Alleria had become aware that this hallway’s activity had been lowered -- a practice she had become familiar with when speaking on matters of Sylvanas. There had been a great effort not to alert the city at large that she was still missing. The Fourth War had left its mark on many, and tensions between peoples still ran high. If certain people had discovered they were no closer today than they had been yesterday...well. It would only add to the pressure on Stormwind, which currently housed so many refugees.

Two guards met her halfway down the hall, each saluting in unison as she strode past them without meeting their eyes. She spotted Anduin’s golden hair at a distance, armor abandoned for kingly finery of woven mageweave, dyed in brilliant blue. He was standing, one hand tracing along the wooden grain of the war table with a distracted stare in his eyes, which seemed to be focused on something inside of the table rather than on top of it.

“Your highness,” Alleria found herself saying for the second time today while closing the doors behind her. It succeeded in gaining his attention, and one of his hands fell to join the one resting on the table. She had grown accustomed to seeing the young king looking exhausted -- once, he had been better at hiding it. But the weight of that crown was becoming more and more visible by the day. 

It looked especially heavy that day.

Anduin lifted himself finally, gesturing to a seat across from him as he took his own. 

“Please sit,” he requested, tenor mild with unasked questions. Though Alleria was perfectly in control of the whispers in her mind, they did like to _gossip_ every now and then. Something about the King was certainly off -- more than the fact that he clearly had not slept the previous night. Their interference at that moment nearly kept her from taking the offered seat.

But the whispers never made her decisions for her. And so, Alleria sat down.

“What would you ask of me?” Alleria started once she was settled, back straight and arms loosely folded across her chest. There was _something_ sitting in the space between them that encouraged her to close her body language. She could not place it -- only that it made the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

Anduin did not answer her right away. It seemed he was still struggling with how to phrase whatever question it was that he wanted to pose -- or resisting the desire to ask it. Alleria sat patiently … waiting.

Waiting…

“Before I ask,” Anduin began, hands folded in front of him diplomatically. The exhaustion had gone from his eyes suddenly, wiped away like condensation on glass. “I imagine you are aware that we have yet to locate the expeditions returning from The Vale of Eternal Blossoms and Uldum.”

“I am,” Alleria replied, trying to seek out Anduin’s purpose.

“Well, that is not entirely accurate,” Anuin continued, unmoving as he watched Alleria for a reaction. She did not give him one beyond a slow blink of her glowing eyes. “Some of them have found their way to their respective homes. We only just have discovered them wandering around. When questioned about the others … ” Here, Anduin leaned back, rubbing his forehead “They lacked any memory of their excursion. It was as if they woke up into life as usual.”

Alleria frowned, letting her arms relax and fall upon the table.

“Who else knows of this?” she asked quietly, despite knowing well enough that nobody would be listening outside of the door. “Where are you keeping them?”

“Only the families, who are being monitored,” Anduin offered. The second question was not answered, much to Alleria’s chagrin. “Master Shaw has the situation well in hand. What I need from you is for you to tell me if you have seen anything that might point us to what happened between those two locations and here.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, filled with an equally uncomfortable stare across the table.

“The Void does not speak to me freely, your highness,” Alleria offered finally. “If there is a question you desire an answer to, I will ask it.”

“What I know,” Anduin continued, still at odds with himself. “Is that our soldiers disappeared between Ny’alotha and here. I had received reports of success, yet suddenly we cannot locate half of our forces that were committed there. What conclusion might you draw from that information alone?” Alleria did not answer. The question, to her, was rhetorical. If he had a question to ask of her, then he would ask it. “Have you found anything else? Anything at all? Nothing is too small, Alleria. We cannot afford to be without our champions at such a critical--”

“Yes,” Alleria said finally, startling the young king into silence. The surprise on his face was so naked that, for a moment, she wondered if she had missed something in the long and slightly anxious train of thought that he had been verbalizing to her. Clearly, he had not expected such a response. “Magister Umbric has been observing an anomaly in the Telogrus Rift. Though I would not go so far as to say it is anything particularly different from what we typically encounter -- only that it is more persistent.”

“When were you going to tell me?” Anduin started sternly, obviously still stunned. His emotions surged suddenly, so powerfully that his bones seized with ache. His fingers dug into the wood beneath them. One thousand thoughts assaulted his mind with enough force that he knew if he took his eyes off of the elf across from him, he would lose control of his temper. Alleria did not flinch in the face of it, but instead sat up a little straighter.

“When you took an interest,” she answered simply. “Until now, it was of no relevance in our attempt to locate Sylvanas, and thus was a secondary concern of mine.”

Anduin took a moment to sit with that response. It was rational, reasonable -- Alleria was a focused hunter, and there was quite a lot riding on the hunt for Sylvanas. It stood to reason that Alleria would have no reason to alert him of such a simple thing, a thing that the Ren’dorei were sure no one else could understand or comprehend. A thing that, by Alleria’s telling, was no different than what usually occurred inside of the rift.

Wrathion’s words echoed in the back of his mind. _If I am correct, she and her people are taking direction from another master_. The weight of the stone in his pocket felt heavier, suddenly.

“Do you believe it might be related?” he asked, mollified only slightly by her reply. The words would not leave his mind -- no doubt as the warning was intended.

“No, I do not,” Alleria offered. Anduin could not help the slight burn of shame -- he was sure it must have sounded accusatory, in the heat of the moment. The eldest Windrunner sister was inscrutable, impossible to read even for someone as empathetic as he was. “But I will inform you if something reveals itself in any concerning measure.”

“Thank you,” Anduin breathed outward in a sigh, one hand smoothing over his face. It was impossible not to be embarrassed, even with the knowledge he had opted not to share in return -- the warning that Wrathion had shared with him. Suddenly it felt larger than a small suspicion, and though his trust in Alleria was not truly shaken, doubt had somehow clawed into his mind. That was enough for an apology. “Forgive me, I … I don’t know what came over me.” Alleria’s head tilted in such a way that it made the tips of her ears bounce with the motion.

“Anduin,” Alleria spoke in a different tone this time, one that privately compounded some of the young king’s frustrations. It was a tone Jaina had often used with him when she did not agree with him -- and the tone he imagined she might have used with Arator. However, the usage of his name followed with some hesitation, as if she had thought better of addressing him in such a way. “May I ask you something in return?”

“Of course,” Anduin replied, eager to make up for his outburst.

“Have you been sleeping?” Alleria asked with her head still tilted, something knowing in her eyes. 

_Ah. Of course._ Anduin had imagined it was something of a topic of conversation now, how tired he must have looked all of the time. Somehow, he had hoped that it might fade once the treaties had been signed and peace had been established -- a foolish notion, perhaps. Nothing would ever fully rest until Sylvanas was brought to justice. Alleria knew that. He knew that this was where that question had come from, too.

“Mostly,” Anduin remarked, applying a mask and a smile to the false words. Granted, it was not as if he wanted to lie to Alleria but -- at the same time, there was nothing to be done for it. He was the High King. Matters needed seeing to, things needed to be dealt with, hunts to be launched. Any reasonable person would have felt a similar squeeze. The smile, at least, was genuine (if not a bit self-depreciating). “It comes easier some nights more than others.”

“Your people will not think less of you if you seek a small respite,” Alleria continued in that same motherly tone she had attempted to smother just a moment ago. It seemed that she could not help herself in the face of Anduin’s choice to open up some here. “You have a well stocked team of advisors and leaders to see to things in your absence. It would be good for you.”

“I can’t,” Anduin replied, the smile spreading with understanding. She was kind to voice her concern, though he suspected she might not have taken so kindly to him pointing that out. “But I will take it under consideration. I imagine I will sleep much easier once our champions have been located. I had a gryphon dispatched to Silithus in search of the Speaker. I am hoping he might shed some light upon the situation.”

“And … the dragon?” Alleria asked, one eyebrow raised. Anduin felt something lodge itself low in his throat. The stone in his pocket, heavier still. These were things he could not discuss with Alleria -- not yet. Not when they had just so recently found a common goal again.

“I am sure if Wrathion has anything to say, he will be with the speaker to offer his opinion as well,” Anduin replied, pushing himself back and up from his chair. He had entered this meeting hoping for answers, but was finding more questions the longer it went on. The best thing to do would be to disengage before things became muddled even further. 

“This was his request -- his idea,” Alleria continued, delaying her rise from her chair. “I should hope he has something to say about champions that went missing under his care.” Hearing it spoken like that, like an accusation, did no favors for Anduin’s already muddled thoughts. The king waved his hand in a gesture requesting both calm and a dismissal of the matter.

“As I said,” Anduin offered again, privately calling upon the Light for patience. He did not need any assistance in being frustrated with the Black Prince. “I am sure if he has anything to contribute, it will be offered. I thank you for your candor, as always.” And yet, despite the thanks, Alleria was clearly not satisfied with the response to her point. Despite that, she shuffled the chair aside and took a few steps sideways toward the double doors.

“I will inform you of further progress -- on the matter of Sylvanas or the anomaly,” Alleria finally said. “And I trust you will keep me apprised on the rest? If we can be of any help--”

“I will call upon you, certainly,” Anduin replied, coming around the table to join her in departure. As they exited the war room and entered into the throne room, both Alleria and Anduin were greeted with a haggard looking dwarf, flight helmet tucked under one arm. She spoke to a very serious looking Matthias Shaw in the center of the room, who was frowning as the rider recounted her tale to him. Anduin recognized the situation immediately and held an apologetic hand up to the elf. “If you will excuse me--”

Alleria nodded silently as the king strode across the stone to the two figures.

“Well?” Anduin started when both of them fell quiet to look at him. “Go on. What did the Speaker have to say?” Briefly the rider looked to Shaw for permission, who gestured for her to respond.

“Yer majesty--” she began in a thick accent, shifting the helmet from one arm to both hands in an effort to keep them occupied. “I flew reconnaissance ‘round the Wound like ye asked. The Speaker is -- he’s missin’, yer majesty. The Titan facility there -- all's calm, but it’s empty, no signs of nothin' anywhere. Just the Watcher there now, and she’s not talkin’. We think she's been deactivated.”

Anduin could feel Alleria's eyes settling upon him as his eyes lifted from the dwarf to look at the Spymaster standing beside her. He could feel every bone of his body seizing with both grief and anger.

"Find them," was all he could finally muster between the effort to keep a straight face and a level tone. That heavy weight in his pocket persisted with every word he spoke, urging for his immediate attention. _Wrathion wouldn't betray him like this. Not like this. Something was very wrong. It had to be._ "Leave Sylvanas to Alleria. I want Magni and our champions found."

But by the time he turned to make certain Alleria had heard him, she was halfway down the Keep's exit. She did not need encouragement to return to the hunt for Sylvanas, Anduin imagined.

If only he could be so confident in Wrathion's intentions.


End file.
